1. Summit Hill Elementary Art EDventures
“Story Quilts”
1st Grade/Social Studies
Underground Railroad
Faith Ringgold
Brought to you by your PTA!
PLEASE NOTE: This presentation is to be used for educational purposes only. Do not reproduce.

2. Meet Faith Ringgold 1930-Present
“I couldn’t be more pleased to describe myself as both an artist and a teacher.”
1930-Present

3. Professor, Writer and Artist
Faith Ringgold is Professor of Art at the University of San Diego in California.
She also has written and illustrated 11 children's books and has been honored with many awards like:
Corretta Scott King Award
Caldecott Honor
National Endowment for the Arts

4. “Quilting Bee” by Faith Ringgold
Story Quilts
Professor Ringgold is best known for her special art called “Story Quilts.”
Story quilts combine the art of painting, quilting and story telling.
Many of her quilts are very famous like this one called “Quilting Bee.” It can be seen in a very big art museum called the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City!
Quilting Bees were parties when ladies gathered together to sew a quilt.
Speaker Notes: Opra Winfrey owns this quilt. She bought it from Faith Ringgold in 1991 (almost 20 years ago.)
Sometimes Quilting Bee’s were competitions to see who could sew a quilt the fastest.
“Quilting Bee” by Faith Ringgold

5. Fine & Folk Art
Her Story Quilts are unique because they combine fine art with folk art.
What does that mean? Well, fine art is usually created by someone who has gone to school and studied art. The “fine art” part of her story quilts is her painting.
Folk art is usually handed down from one generation to another as a craft. It isn’t usually taught in a school of art. She learned how to quilt from her mom so the quilt part of her art is “folk art.”
Speaker Notes:
Answer : Can you find the “fine art” part of her quilt?-Hit enter and a red rectangle will highlight the middle part of her quilt is painted. She uses acrylic paint on canvass cloth. She went to art school and trained to be a painter. So the middle is the “fine art” part of her quilt. Outside the red area is the quilted part.
There is a little trick to this question because if you look - she painted other famous paintings insider her story quilt! The kids may point the paintings hanging on the wall as fine art. That answer is correct too!
It looks like they are having a good time in her story quilt.
Can you find the “fine art” part of “Dancing In the Louvre” story quilt?
(hit enter)

6. “The Winner- Woman on the Bridge”
What Are Her Stories?
Speaker Notes: Explain that her quilts tell stories. Tell them about “Mothers Quilt,” (explained below) but have the kid guess what the story is for “The Winner-Woman On The Bridge.”
“Mothers Quilt” was a tribute Faith’s mother after she died. She taught Faith how to sew; how to be creative with art and fabrics. The quilt features “mammy dolls” –African American folk art. Mammy’s were typically slaves that lived in a plantation owners house and took care of the family.
“The Winner-Woman on the Bridge” - Faith has this quote on her website: “If one can, anyone can. All you gotta do is try!” From her home in Harlem (New York City) she can see the George Washington Bridge which is featured in this quilt. She wanted to create a positive role model featuring a young black woman.
Ask the kids to look closely at this quilt and tell you what is happening. Is the young girl with a pony tail beating a man in this race?
“The Winner Woman on the Bridge”
“Mothers Quilt”

7. “Born in a Cotton Field”
A Family Tradition
Professor Ringgold was born on October 8th, 1930 in Harlem, New York. (Around the same time that your grandparents were born.)
She learned all about quilting from her mother who was a fashion designer.
Amazingly, the folk art tradition of quilting in her family can be traced all the way back to her great, great, great grandmother.
She was born into slavery on a plantation in South Carolina and made quilts for her white masters.
Speaker Notes: Many southern plantations grew cotton and slaves were kept to pick the crops. Slaves born in the United States back then were not free. They were considered property of the plantation owner. Thanks to changes in our laws, today anyone born in the United States in FREE!
Ask the kids to look closely at the cotton field and to tell you what they see. Answer-there are slaves hiding/peeking out of the cotton in field to see the baby.
“Born in a Cotton Field”
by Faith Ringgold
Look closely at that cotton-what do you see?

8. “Wanted, Douglas, Tubman and Truth” by Faith Ringgold
Secret Messages
“Wanted, Douglas, Tubman and Truth” by Faith Ringgold
Much of Faith’s art is about African American history. This quilt features Harriet Tubman hiding in a field on a tobacco plantation.
Harriet Tubman is very famous because she was a slave that escaped to freedom. Later, she became an Underground Railroad “conductor” and risked her life many times help free other slaves.
Did you know that quilts sewn by African American slaves may have had secret messages in them?
Speaker Notes: Harriet Tubman made nineteen trips along the Underground Railroad to lead 300 enslaved African Americans to freedom.

9. Slave Quarters, St. George Island
In Plain View
Slave quilts were supposedly hung outside “safe” houses where they could be seen by slaves that were escaping to freedom via the Underground Railroad. (hit enter)
Slaves could not read or write. In fact, it was illegal to teach them. So they used their quilts to “tell stories” by using symbols.
Quilts could be left hanging outside without anyone suspecting a thing. When in fact, they were acting as message boards in plain view of everyone.
Slave Quarters, St. George Island
Speaker Notes: This slide has layered images. The first image is of slave quilt symbols. The second layer shows what a slave house looks like on St. George Island, Florida.
Explain that Safe Houses were stopping places where people helped hide and care for escaping slaves via the Underground Rail Road. Harriet Tubman stopped at safe houses along the way to rest, get food, seek shelter and get directions to the next “safe house.” She risked her life with every trip and so did the owners of the “safe houses.”
Have the kids look at the quilts in the black and white photo to see if they see any kind of message.
Slave Quilt Symbols

10. Quilt Symbols Sail Boat
Quilt symbols told Underground Railroad “conductors” like Harriet Tubman important information:
Drinking Gourd (hit enter)
Told them to look up to the sky for the drinking gourd (Big Dipper.) The brightest star on the handle of the Big Dipper would help guide them North to freedom.
Flying Geese (hit enter)
Told them to follow the way the geese were flying in the spring. This would lead them towards Canada and freedom.
Sailboat (hit enter)
Warned that a body of water had to be crossed soon.
Monkey Wrench (hit enter)
Meant that people inside the house would provide “tools” to lead them to freedom.
Flying Geese
Drinking Gourd
Speaker Notes:
Slaves called a gourd attached to a handled and dipped into a bucket for a drink of water a “drinking gourd.” A big dipper was another name for this same type drinking tool. It is also a group of 7 stars that forms the “cup” part of the tool and the “handle.” The brightest star in this group is the North Star.
Monkey Wrench
Sail Boat

11. Story Quilts in Atlanta
High Museum of Art
Amazingly, nearly 60,000 slaves made it to freedom with the aid of heroes like Harriet Tubman and secret directions in quilts. (hit enter)
Thank goodness, you are “free” to see a Faith Ringgold Story Quilt right here in Atlanta! The High Museum of Art owns one of her most favorite quilts called “Church Picnic.” (hit enter)
Now it is time for you to make a story quilt of your own!
Speaker Notes:
This slide has layered images.
The first image is of the big dipper or “drinking gourd.” The handle is at the top left of the image. The North Star is the last or 7th star-or the bottom “edge” of the gourd cup. You can go up to the screen and outline the handle, gourd and North Star. After this hit enter to reveal Faith Ringgold’s Church Picnic owned by the High.

12. All 1st Grade Quilts Together
Art EDventures Sample
Safe House Square
&
Drinking Gourd Square
It’s your turn to make a “safe house” and a “drinking gourd” quilt square. Then a class quilt will be sewn together with all the squares.
Afterwards, a “quilting bee” will combine all the class quilts together to create one giant wall hanging!
Speaker Notes: Much of the presentation information and quilting project came together with the aid of the Museum of American Quilters Society in Padukah, Kentucky. If we connect 5 or more years worth of class quilts, they offered to feature them “connected” in the Museum.
Class Quilt
All 1st Grade Quilts Together

13. Project Art EDventures
Hole Punching
If you have time, have your Art EDventure Leader help you punch holes along the edge of your squares where small dots have been pre-marked.
Sewing Your Square
If you have time, you may tie them together with a piece of yarn.
Building the Quilt Pattern
IMPORTANT STEP: Half the class will have to tie their squares together with the safe house on the left and symbol on the right.
The other half of the class will do the opposite for the quilt pattern to look like a checker board.
The Art EDventures volunteers may lay the quilt squares out on the floor for the kids to see the pattern develop.
Completing The Class Quilt
Volunteers will have to take all the squares home to finish tying it all together.
When combined, all the squares will make a very special classroom quilt.
Please return the completed quilt to your teacher.
1st Grade Combined Quilt Later, all the class quilts will be “sewn” together by Art ED volunteers and hung out for all to see-- or not?
Safe House Square:
Create a safe house quilting square by cutting out the pre marked “house outline” on your foam square. (Watch your Art EDventures leader for they will show you how to fold your square in half to cut out a house shape.
Paste the paper square with the pattern on it to the back of your foam safe house square. Your house should now be filled in.
Use your markers to decorate your safe house. Add things like doors and windows, etc.
Secret Symbol Square:
On your second foam square you are going to build a secret message symbol. (It’s just like playing with Tan Grams!)
Look at the sample “drinking gourd” square given to your group. Then use the small foam pieces to build the same pattern on your square.
Then glue the small pieces in place on top of your foam square.
Draw The Paw
Sign your name just under your “safe house” and “Draw the Paw” so others will know it is a PTA Art EDventures creation.

14. G.P.S. Ties
SS1H1 The student will read about and describe the life of historical figures in American history. a. Identify the contributions made by these figures: Benjamin Franklin (inventor/author/statesman),Thomas Jefferson (Declaration of Independence), Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with Sacagawea (exploration), Harriet Tubman (Underground Railroad), Theodore Roosevelt (National Parks and the environment), George Washington Carver (science). b. Describe how everyday life of these historical figures is similar to and different from everyday life in the present (food, clothing, homes, transportation, communication, recreation).

15. Supply List
6 x 6 inch foam squares. (Two different colors for each child) One for the background of the drinking gourd symbol. Another for the foundation for the “safe house” square.
5.5 x 5.5 inch paper squares- with black and white pattern. (One per each child)
2 x 2 inch foam square for middle of the “drinking gourd” symbol. Same color as the “safe house” foam piece.
2 x 2 inch foam square (same color as above) cut into 8 triangles for the points of the gourd symbol. (Same color as “safe house foam piece)
Glue (several bottles per table.
Hole punches (several per table)
Roll of black yarn (one per 2 classes)
Scissors (one per child)
Markers (several packages per table)
Optional symbols for other quilt pattern options.

16. Art EDventures Made possible with your donations to S.H.E.’s PTA
Dear Mom, Dad or Caretaker,
Today in Art EDventures, we learned about Faith Ringgold and how her story quilts combine painting, quilting and story telling.
We also discovered how quilts were used to send secret messages to slaves escaping via the Underground Railroad.
Ask me about my “drinking gourd” quilt square. This symbol told “conductors” like Harriet Tubman to look up to the sky for the drinking gourd (Big Dipper). This would lead North to safety.
Faith Ringgold “Born In A Cotton Field”
Dear Mom, Dad or Caretaker,
Today in Art EDventures, we learned about Faith Ringgold and how her story quilts combine painting, quilting and story telling.
We also discovered how quilts were used to send secret messages to slaves escaping via the Underground Railroad.
Ask me about my “drinking gourd” quilt square. This symbol told “conductors” like Harriet Tubman to look up to the sky for the drinking gourd (Big Dipper). This would lead North to safety.
Faith Ringgold “Born In A Cotton Field”